Q: Why did we lose a Point Reduction Form?
We recognize this is one of the less exciting pieces of the TA. Management was very concerned about our extremely generous sick leave accrual and attendance policy (both at the top of the industry) in addition to the new state sick leave provisions (which bring added protections and flexibility) we needed to codify.
As we began working on ensuring our sick leave provisions were compliant with law, the Company was adamant about needing an offset. They wanted to eliminate point reductions entirely, eliminate bank points, eliminate record improvements (quarterly and year-end), and/or eliminate or extend the 18-month point roll off.
They even suggested getting rid of section 32 in its entirety – meaning any Flight Attendant without sick leave would immediately progress to steps of discipline, rather than having the ability to mitigate attendance points.
After significant discussion, this is what we landed on. During negotiations, we cannot just ignore the Company’s objectives – we must bargain in good faith, or the Company can request mediation and the NMB can “shelve” negotiations until both parties are willing to work toward an agreement.
One thing we were able to capture was the flexibility of a two-bank system and the codification of state sick leave provisions. Of all the provisions the Company wanted to eliminate, a singular Point Reduction Form was the most offset gains in state sick leave provisions. Although we know there is concern on losing point mitigation, we see it as a trade-off with even more potential flexibility than the current system.
The original program the Company wanted, which would have complied with state law, is not nearly as beneficial as where we ended up. There were many more restrictions, verification for the entire year, and more – such as impeding into current the current CBA bank and accrual rate. We had to fight back – vigorously – to get the beneficial program we ended up with. At the very end, it wasn’t something we did lightly – it was a hard-fought battle
All the current provisions still available, such as calling in well (even when using state bank sick leave). We encourage everyone to read the provisions thoroughly and consider the new strategy of using sick leave. There are a lot of mechanisms available.
One strategic gain was the ability to switch designation from the state bank to the CBA bank prior to the end of the next sequence. If you initially call out for a short duration and utilize the state bank for no attendance points, but end up needing a longer absence – you can switch the designation to CBA bank and use a point reduction form. You will no longer need to burn an entire point reduction form for a turn or shorter absence.